The Monona 20k a nice sized run, which I gauge by how far away we need to park. We were right on the edge of the park in a lot, and there were plenty of spots left when we got there. We hung out around the shelter for a little bit, used the bathroom, then walked back to the car to deposit our jackets and grab the rest of our gear.
The 20k headed out first, with the 5k starting 15 minutes later. The 20k course, from what I hear, if flat and scenic as it travels around Lake Monona, most of the time with a view of the lake. The 5k course is around the neighborhood of the park, has some hills, and you don't see the lake. The course is not closed, but there is very little traffic on the streets. The 20k course uses some paved bike trails.
Last year was the first 5k, and the number of participants was really small. So small in fact, that I placed in my age division. Haha! There were more runners this year, ranging from marathoners on their off weeks to novice runners. The 5k is also a walk, but I don't know how many walkers there were. I had plenty of time after my race to grab some food and water, go to the car to get more clothes, and have a free massage. Chad finished right around his prediction of 1:45.
The after run spread was really good: Capital Brewery beer, Quaker Steak wings, chips and queso from Qdoba, along with an assortment of snacks including pretzels, animal crackers, fruit, trail mix and much more. By the time we made it over to the park shelter there was quite a long line, but the beer and chips and queso had separate lines which was nice.
Onward in training, Chad is finishing up his runs to get ready for the Madison Marathon and I am just revving up for a half marathon in August.
